The Weakness of the Strongest
by Menroth
Summary: Those who are forced to stand against themselves find the given circumstances the most difficult. Even the strongest ones aren't free from their own darkness. Do inner fights can be solved with immense amount of KI?


He could still feel this impending doom coming upon him from the hands of Frieza. The very feeling of body being torn apart, breaking bones, straining intestines, fracturing tissues being overly expanded by accumulation and expanding energy of KI bomb. The misery Kuririn felt at that time. It's funny. One won't think about dying even in a fierce fight. Not until the point when it's actually time for inevitable end of his life.

A small breeze entered the room as he woken up wet from another nightmare. It's been a few weeks since horrors of Cell were 'successfully addressed' by the Kuririn's fellows and Gohan himself. "Goku died" – he broke the void of his mind talking to himself while scratching his hairless head. That was obviously another heavy burden on the man's shoulders – a death of his best friend. Not to mention the solitude. Those of all he knew were naturally involved in their own business. Only fainting but warm and pleasant air circulating around the room was there to somehow comfort his tired will with a fading bliss. It was doubtful that Kuririn was in the state of depression. Surely it wasn't that sort of matter, though one could think of him as of a very melancholic person. Especially at that time of his life when nobody was there for him, the same as he was willing to be for somebody's else existence.

Those of the titles of sages tend to say than man learn his way of love when he's lacking the sweet presence of that state. Kuririn should be a master of romance then. Well. Not really. Simple, good-willing and naive – that's how this man's attitude could be described in terms of relations with other people. He knew what was going on in the end, people could like him or despise him for the way he lived, behaved and even smiled. Disregarding from his emotional childishness, Kuririn knew exactly what he wanted right now. A calming presence of a sweet fragrance of…

Kuririn? What is happening? - woman asked him as he was rolling his eyes pointlessly around the room. He looked to his left. There she was. Beloved android girl, coldly named by dr. Gero as Artificial Human 18 – Snap out of it already – she hit him in the shoulder, though quite painfully for Kuririn mumbled something and turned his back pretending like he's already falling asleep

\- C-18…? – he asked quietly

\- What now?

\- I don't know… it's just that, I can't sleep. No, not this. I'm actually afraid to fall asleep. It's been fourth night in the row as nightmares are ravaging my mind. Stuff is happening over and over again

\- I told you to snap out of it already – she repeated herself coldly

\- Mhm… – Kuririn nodded waving his hand to her

\- Listen – she whispered while getting subtly closer and closer to his body – I never said I wasn't afraid. I was. I am afraid if you want to know the truth…

\- But… You're strong, practically independent. It's plausible that you may be afraid but I don't think it's a big factor in your life, C-18 – he answered with a more energetic voice

\- Sometimes you're so emotionally childish, you know that Kuririn? – girl punched his shoulder again, this time way more gently

\- Hey… I mean… - he stuttered in embarrassment at the very moment as he felt that hot blood is flowing lively through veins around his cheeks.

\- That's what I especially love about you, Kuririn – she clenched her arms around him tightly while putting her pale cheek to man's back. At that time, it felt big to her, surprisingly safe and comforting, though she knew how weak in comparison to her was the person she's hugging so lovely – You really think you're the only one being so afraid? The only one struggling with the circumstances of your very existence? No warrior can fight if there's nothing to fight for…

Light breeze touched his face gently again. A dream. It was just another dream of his own. Dream putting his existence into further misery as he already knew that now, at this very point he's finally awake, fully in control of his body. The problem was simple, he wanted to stay in that blissful state of fantasy and imagination carving the Kuririn's paradise. "It's surely hard to be a realist" – he thought, hollowly looking at the open window and monotonously waving white curtains.

Clock hanging on the wall was informing about early morning. It was nearly half past five. The Sun was rising, slowly embracing the sky with bright glow. At first glance, for Kuririn, it felt like this weak and feeble light was going to faint and darkness of the night would come back, only to terror his mind with another nightmare. Though, nothing like that happened. Half of an hour has passed as Kuririn rested in his bed trying to put his mind into something he tend to call "an order". "Every single one of us humans, have that kind of order of our own" – Kuririn thought to himself – "Why would I resign from it? I want to be happy, is this really that much?".

Then he stood up silently. Ignoring completely messed up bed with weirdly rolled blanket and disfigured pillow, Kuririn jumped out through the window. Now he was standing before slowly waving ocean. Same pleasant breeze that was calming his nerves in sleep was hitting his face while slowly circulating.

\- This sensation – Muten Roshi woken up with a small booger hanging from his nose. Well. Being an old man have their own privileges, like being disgusting for a while after waking up – Kuririn! What are you doing out there, huh?! – old man yelled walking outside swiftly as for his age

\- Nothing… it's just that – young man was all covered with tensed muscles. Veins were showing off exponentially as his KI was emerging from the very core of Kuririn's body. Was he showing off or he couldn't control his emotions? None of these were known for Muten Roshi, though it was obvious that young man's state of mind wasn't fully stable.

\- Whoa… Kuririn, cut it out already. Nothing good is gonna happen if you'll do stuff like that, well… maybe except hurting yourself – old man warned him gesturing his hand nervously but KI of the man was rising higher and higher, though it remained very unstable and exponential. To put it simple, Kuririn was just wasting his own energy believing it will cool off his head somehow.

\- He's right, y'know? – a girl's voice showed up from behind

\- C-18?! – Kuririn turned around immediately. Air was still waving around his body as rest of the KI was emerging intensively – What are you… doing here? – he stuttered in complete surprise

\- I… I couldn't sleep – she said with a little ironic smirk on her face

\- Haha! – Kuririn laughed covering his face with his palm – Don't you know that loneliness does not help your insomnia? – he said smiling cheerfully out of the sudden

\- I know – C-18 answered looking at the sunrise

They stayed on the beach for a while. Not for a very long time but surely long enough to experience the joy of somehow magical moment, especially that Muten Roshi weirdly disappeared leaving them alone.


End file.
